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1. Introduction Mycotoxins are harmful secondary metabolites produced by fungi that contaminate a wide range of food and feed products [1–3]. Depending on the frequency of occurrence and/or the severity of the disease that they produce, mycotoxins belonging to the aflatoxin, ochratoxin, and Fusarium toxin groups exert great impacts on animal/human health as well as on global trade [2,4]. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), zearalenone (ZEA), ochratoxin A (OTA), and deoxynivalenol (DON)...
1. Introduction Fungi are the second largest group of eukaryotes that play a significant role in human health. The widespread prevalence of fungi in the environment and food chain makes them hazardous for humans. Mycotoxins contamination of agricultural produce is a serious threat to human health [1]. The ingestion of mycotoxins contaminated food, results acute and chronic toxicity to the humans and animals. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) suggested that about 25 % of...
1. Introduction Avena sativa, commonly known as oats, is a cereal belonging to the Poaceae grass family that has traditionally been used as animal feed, particularly for horses and dairy cows. In recent years, the beneficial nutritional and physiological effects of oat products have generated an increase in nutrition-conscious consumer demand. The characteristic feature of oat grains is the favourable profile of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and essential unsaturated...
Introduction
Aflatoxins (AF) are a major concern in poultry production and public health because of serious economic losses and health problems. AF contamination causes reduced feed quality and reduced animal efficiency either through poor conversion of nutrients or problems such as reproductive abnormalities. Aflatoxicosis in poultry also causes listlessness, anorexia with lowered growth rate, poor feed utilization, decreased egg production and increased mortality....
INTRODUCTION As a fungal secondary metabolite of the Aspergillus species, aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) is known to be the most toxigenic mycotoxin (Yunus et al., 2011). Feed contamination with AFB 1 has been a major feed safety concern due to its negative effects on growth performance, production, hepatic functions, and immune system in many livestock species (Ledoux et al., 1999; Yarru et al., 2009; Andretta et al., 2011; Grenier and Applegate,...
1. Introduction Breeding for Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance is the most effective means of providing useful protection of wheat [1,2]. It is well known that resistance to Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum is not race-specific [3–7]. Research has shown that in wheat, the resistance to different Fusaria is also species-non-specific, e.g., the genotypes, being resistant to F. graminearum, will also show resistance to other Fusarium spp. tested [8,9]. As...
1. Introduction Mixing of isolates is a general methodical procedure used to produce inoculum for artificial inoculation. In most cases, no reason is given as to why it is used. It is known that the isolates of the Fusarium spp. have a strong variability in aggressiveness [1–3]. As mixing in seedling tests strongly influences aggressiveness [1], it is important to know what the influence of mixing on the disease-causing capacity is. It is clear now that Fusarium...
1. Introduction Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by some filamentous fungi and whose presence has been detected mainly in agricultural products and processed food [1,2]. A recent review published by Eskola et al. [3] estimated that more than 60% of all crops around the world contain mycotoxins, and several classes can simultaneously be found in food. Contamination can happen at any stage of cultivation, harvesting, processing, or storage, when environmental...
1. Introduction Creatinine (2-amino-1-methyl-2-imidazoline-4-one) is the final metabolism product of creatine in mammals [1], which is excreted exclusively by the kidneys via glomerular filtration and, to a lesser extent, by tubular secretion [2]. Under physiological conditions, its excretion throughout the day is relatively constant, the amount of creatinine produced is proportional to the muscle mass of the individuals [3]. In contrast, urine production depends on the...
Introduction Mycotoxins are a large group of toxins produced by moulds and they can be very toxic for animals, plants and humans. Mycotoxins occur particularly in regions or countries with climates of high temperature and humidity or where there are poor crop harvesting and storage conditions, which encourage mould growth and mycotoxin development (25). The toxic effects of mycotoxins are mainly on liver and they cause teratogenic, mutagenic,...
1. Introduction Traditional Camellia sinensis (C. sinensis) black and green teas, and teas made from medicinal herbs such as peppermint, chamomile, and dog-rose, are consumed daily as the most favoured beverages in Europe and other countries [1,2]. Caffeine-rich teas are commonly imported from the tea-growing regions in China, Japan, Sri Lanka, India, and Kenya, repacked and blended with natural or artificial flavours, dried fruits, and spices, and sold in supermarkets or...
Mycotoxins represent a risk to the feed supply chain with an impact on animal health, feed industry, economy, and international trade. A high percentage of feed samples have been reported to be contaminated with more than one mycotoxin. Multi-mycotoxin contamination is a topic of great concern, as co-contaminated samples might still exert adverse effects on animals due to additive/synergistic interactions of the mycotoxins. Since mycotoxin contamination cannot be completely prevented pre-or...
1. Introduction Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating fungal disease that affects wheat and other small-grain cereals worldwide, caused by several species belonging to the genus Fusarium. Besides causing significant yield losses and reducing grain quality [1], these species are also able to biosynthesize mycotoxins harmful to both humans and animals [2,3]. F. culmorum (W. G. Smith) Sacc. and F. graminearum Schwabe are generally considered the two most important FHB causal...
1. Introduction Grain production is the basis of global food security and is indispensable for feeding the world. In 1798, Malthus argued that the global population increases more rapidly than global food supply until war, disease, or famine reduces the number of people [1]. The failure thus far of Malthus’s prediction has not prevented others from promoting similar scenarios in more recent decades. For example, Paddock [2] forecasted a worldwide famine by 1975 and stated...
Mycotoxins in animal nutrition Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites, produced naturally in various Genera of Fungi. The most significant in animal production are produced by molds of the Genera Aspergillus , Fusarium and Penicillium ....
1. Introduction Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites of fungi and are frequently found in a variety of agricultural crops such as cereals, fruits, and nuts. Mycotoxin contamination of crops and their carry over into the human food chain are of great concern as they are potent toxins and their toxicities may contribute to adverse health effects in humans [1]. In response to fungal infection and mycotoxin production, several cereal plants have been found to transform...
1. Introduction Wheat is susceptible to Fusarium head blight (FHB) world-wide which causes both yield and quality losses, in addition to contamination of harvested grain with mycotoxins, particularly zearalenone (ZEN) and type B trichothecenes such as deoxynivalenol (DON). There are strict regulations in place for maximum contamination levels of these two toxins to reduce accumulation in the human and animal food chains. Both mycotoxins can be produced pre- and post-harvest....
1. Introduction Fungal diseases are one of the main causes of large economic losses and deterioration in the quality and nutrient composition of fruits during the postharvest stage. They contribute significantly to the reduction of the shelf life of products during storage, contaminate fruits with mycotoxins, and reduce their market value. In the fresh production supply chain, such drawbacks have traditionally been overcome through the use of synthetic chemicals. However, due to...
1. Introduction Pathogenic microorganisms present in the environment are a menace for crops. At a worldwide level, diseases caused by plant pathogenic fungi significantly contribute to overall losses in terms of crop yield. To face this challenge, the use of traditional pesticides entails disadvantages related to handling hazards, cost, residues, and threats to human health and the environment. Consequently, European Directive 2009/128/EC established a framework to achieve their...
1. Introduction Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is one of the most important species among protein-oil crops grown in regions of moderate climates. The development of improved rapeseed varieties, i.e., free from harmful erucic acid and with a reduced glucosinolate content (the so-called double zero varieties “00”), has increased interest in this crop over the past decades. As a result, a significant increment in rapeseed cultivation has been observed and consequently,...